Tag: preseason

Sep 2, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell before the game against the Boston College Eagles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

Florida State falls out of AP Top 25 after two upset losses

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Florida State took a historic tumble out of the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll on Tuesday after starting the season 0-2 as a preseason top-10 team.

The Seminoles were double-digit favorites but lost a Week 0 game to Atlantic Coast Conference rival Georgia Tech in Ireland, then fell to league foe Boston College on Monday night at home.

FSU is just the third squad to go from preseason top-10 to unranked in the first regular-season rankings since the poll expanded to 25 teams in 1989, joining Michigan in 2007 and Clemson in 2008.

“I’m sick to how this season started,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said after the 28-13 loss to Boston College. “Tonight, I failed in preparing the team to go out and respond.”

No. 1 Georgia remained atop the poll, receiving 57 first-place votes following its opening 34-3 rout of then-No. 14 Clemson, which fell to No. 25 in the first regular-season poll.

The Southeastern Conference has three teams in the top four, with Georgia, No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Alabama. Ohio State received the other five first-place votes and is No. 2.

Notre Dame moved up to spots to No. 5 after knocking then-No. 20 Texas A&M out of the rankings in their season opener.

The SEC has five squads in the top 10, with Mississippi staying at No. 6 and Missouri up two spots to No. 9.

Oregon fell from No. 3 to 7 after a narrow win over Idaho. Penn State remained at No. 8, and Michigan fell one spot to No. 10.

Miami moved up seven spots to No. 12 after pounding host Florida, and Southern California jumped 10 spots to No. 13 after defeating LSU, which fell five places to No. 18.

Georgia Tech (2-0), with wins over Florida State and Georgia State, is No. 23 and ranked for the first time since 2015.

The rest of the AP Top 25 poll:

11. Utah
12. Miami
13. Southern California
14. Tennessee
15. Oklahoma
16. Oklahoma State
17. Kansas State
18. LSU
19. Kansas
20. Arizona
21. Iowa
22. Louisville
23. Georgia Tech
24. N.C. State
25. Clemson

–Field Level Media

October 4, 2020; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight ends/assistant head coach Jon Embree during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Dolphins assistant to coach team for half of preseason finale

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Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is turning over the team to an assistant coach for the second half of Friday’s preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, CBS Miami reported.

The move is a trial run for Jon Embree, the team’s assistant head/tight ends coach, who would serve as head coach should McDaniel need to miss a game for an illness or any other reason, per the report.

McDaniel is expected to call the offensive plays throughout the game.

Embree, in his 33rd season of coaching, joined the Dolphins staff in 2022 when McDaniel was hired away from the 49ers. The two worked together in San Francisco.

Embree, 58, served as the head coach at Colorado, his alma mater, from 2011-12. He was fired after posting a 4-21 record.

–Field Level Media

Aug 1, 2024; Canton, Ohio, USA; Chicago Bears safety Douglas Coleman III (38) and cornerback Josh Blackwell (39) defend a pass against the Houston Texans during the third quarter at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Bears S Douglas Coleman III leaves preseason game in ambulance

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Chicago Bears safety Douglas Coleman III was taken off the field in an ambulance during Thursday night’s preseason game against the host Kansas City Chiefs.

Coleman was hurt making a tackle on the first play from scrimmage of the second half. He came behind Chiefs wide receiver Cornell Powell and his neck appeared to snap back when making contact with Powell’s body.

Coleman was tended to by medical personnel and placed on a stabilizing board before the ambulance came for him.

The 26-year-old Coleman has yet to play in the NFL. He was attempting to make Chicago’s roster after spending two seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League. He went undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2020.

–Field Level Media

Aug 25, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Detroit Lions linebacker Trevor Nowaske (59) breaks up a pass in the end zone intended for Carolina Panthers tight end Ian Thomas (80) in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Bryce Young makes progress but Panthers fall to Lions

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The Detroit Lions used a 20-point second quarter to topple the Carolina Panthers 26-17 Friday night in their preseason finale in Charlotte, NC.

Teddy Bridgewater led the Lions offense for the entire first half, getting into scoring range on all but one drive. He hit on 13 of his 22 pass attempts for 178 yards and one touchdown.

Stephon Gilmore added an 11-yard pick-six off Jake Luton with just three minutes remaining to cement the lead for Detroit.

The highlight of the day for Bridgewater was a 70-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Antoine Green in the second quarter. Green caught the pass from Bridgewater at Carolina’s 48-yard line and sprinted to the end zone untouched.

First overall pick Bryce Young continued to improve. He led the Panthers to a field goal and a touchdown in his two drives. He completed seven of 12 passes for 73 yards and added a 16-yard scoring strike to Adam Thielen.

Adrian Martinez and Nate Sudfeld took over behind center for Bridgewater in the second half, totaling just 56 yards passing between them.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee Titans running back Julius Chestnut (36)scores a touchdown past New England Patriots linebacker Diego Fagot (42) during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Aug. 25, 2023.

Titans’ defense dominates Pats in preseason finale

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The Tennessee Titans’ defense allowed just 79 total yards in a 23-7 victory over the New England Patriots on Friday in Nashville.

The game concluded the preseason for both teams.

Michael Dwumfour had two of the Titans’ six sacks, and Tennessee recovered two fumbles by Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe.

The starting quarterbacks for the Titans, Ryan Tannehill, and the Patriots, Mac Jones, did not play.

Malik Willis played the whole game at QB for Tennessee (2-1), completing 15 of 20 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. Titans running back Jacques Patrick gained 76 yards on 15 carries.

Zappe finished 8 of 15 for 57 yards for New England (1-2). Trace McSorley and Malik Cunningham combined to throw three passes, all of them incomplete.

–Field Level Media

Aug 19, 2023; Glendale, AZ, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Richie James (17) carries the ball against Arizona Cardinals linebacker Zaven Collins (25) in the first half of a preseason game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic

Chiefs rack up 504 yards, batter Cardinals 38-10

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The Kansas City Chiefs rolled up 504 yards of offense — including nearly 400 through the air — in a preseason blowout of the host Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 105 yards and a touchdown, Blaine Gabbert contributed 120 yards passing and two TDs, and even Shane Buechele threw for 105 yards on 10-for-10 passing. Buechele also added a rushing TD. Chris Oladokun, the Chiefs’ fourth QB on the night, also added 63 yards through the air.

The highlight for the Cardinals was Matt Prater’s 54-yard field goal.

Clayton Tune completed 12 of 24 passes for 133 yards for the Cardinals, also leading the team with 35 rushing yards on six carries.

Mahomes started and played three series and was followed by Buechele.

–Field Level Media

Aug 19, 2023; Green Bay, WI, USA; Teammates look on as New England Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden (7) is taken off the field on a stretcher after a fourth quarter injury against the Green Bay Packers during their preseason football game at Lambeau Field. The game was suspended in the fourth quarter after the injury. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers-USA TODAY Sports

Pats-Packers suspended after Isaiah Bolden stretchered off

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Saturday night’s preseason game between New England and host Green Bay Packers was suspended in the fourth quarter after Patriots rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden was stretchered off the field after a collision.

Bolden was injured by a teammate. Calvin Munson inadvertently hit Bolden in the head while tackling Packers receiver Malik Heath.

After Bolden left the field, the teams decided to suspend the game with 10:49 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Patriots were leading the game, 21-17.

The team said Bolden had feeling in “all his extremities,” adding he would be taken to a local hospital for “tests and observation.”

Bolden is a seventh-round draft pick out of Jackson State.

Bailey Zappe completed 10 of 22 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown for the Pats. He also rushed for a score.

Jordan Love threw for 84 yards and a touchdown for the Packers. Sean Clifford threw for 137 yards after replacing Love.

–Field Level Media

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Trey Palmer (10) catches a touchdown pass as New York Jets cornerback Derrick Langford (36) looks on in the first half of a preseason NFL game at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, in East Rutherford.

Bucs get past Jets but QB John Wolford injures neck

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Rookie receiver Trey Palmer scored the only touchdown of the game on a 33-yard pass from Kyle Trask as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New York Jets 13-6 on Saturday night in a preseason game in East Rutherford, N.J.

Trask launched the pass to the end zone, where Palmer — a sixth-round draft pick out of Nebraska — tipped the ball in the air before securing it with two hands for Tampa Bay’s first lead, 10-6, with 1:53 left in the second quarter.

Trask, with Baker Mayfield on the sidelines, was 20-of-28 passing for 218 yards and the touchdown. Teammate John Wolford was 4-for-4 for 57 yards before leaving the game with a neck injury in the third quarter after getting sacked by Jets defensive lineman Jalyn Holmes. Wolford was taken off the field by stretcher.

The Bucs announced that Wolford had movement in his extremities and was being taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

Tampa Bay’s Chase McLaughlin added a 48-yard field goal with 11:07 left in the fourth quarter for the seven-point advantage.

Greg Zuerlein accounted for all of New York’s points with 31- and 38-yard field goals in the second quarter.

Rodrigo Blankenship kicked a 35-yarder to get the Bucs on the board and tie the game at 3-3 in the second quarter.

With Aaron Rodgers sitting out the game, Jets backup quarterback Zach Wilson completed 9 of 13 passes for 70 yards and led the team in rushing with two carries for a game-high 41 yards, including a 35-yard run.

New York’s third-string quarterback Tim Boyle was 13-for-24 for 106 yards with one interception.

–Field Level Media

Aug 19, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger (4) runs the ball in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Ehlinger, Colts reserves rally past Bears

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Indianapolis backup quarterback Sam Ehlinger guided the host Colts to the final 17 points of the game, all in the fourth quarter, to rally past the Chicago Bears 24-17 on Saturday night in an NFL preseason game.

Both teams sat their starting quarterbacks: the Bears’ Justin Fields and Colts top draft pick Anthony Richardson.

Indianapolis went with Gardner Minshew, who was 13-of-15 passing for 107 yards and a second-quarter touchdown pass of 4 yards to Juwann Winfree.

Ehlinger was 9-for-14 for 124 yards. He also was the Colts’ leading rusher, with eight carries for 60 yards, including a 5-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to pull Indianapolis within 17-13 after a failed conversion pass.

But the Colts scored again on Jake Funk’s 4-yard TD run and his 2-point conversion run for a 21-17 advantage with 4:28 left. Matt Gay added a 35-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining in the game for the final difference.

Chicago’s Daurice Fountain recorded game highs with five receptions for 86 yards, including a 35-yard TD from Nathan Peterman early in the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Aug 19, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) is tackled after intercepting a pass intended for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Kenny Pickett, Steelers start fast, down Bills

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Quarterback Kenny Pickett led host Pittsburgh to two first-quarter touchdown drives and the Steelers’ defense intercepted Buffalo Bills backup QB Matt Barkley three times en route to a 27-15 victory in an NFL preseason game Saturday night.

The Steelers scored 27 points in the first three quarters before the Bills got on the scoreboard in the final period.

Jaylen Warren ran 62 yards for the opening score on his lone carry and Pat Freiermuth made it 14-0 on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Pickett in the first quarter. Pickett finished 3-for-4 for 43 yards and the score.

Mitch Trubisky directed Pittsburgh to a score 3 seconds before halftime on a 3-yard pass to Connor Heyward. Trubisky completed 10 of 13 passes for 78 yards and the TD.

Buffalo starting QB Josh Allen was 7-for-10 passing for 64 yards; Barkley was 7-for-12 and threw interceptions to Joey Porter Jr., Chandon Sullivan and Elijay Riley.

Kyle Allen finished up for the Bills and went 12-for-15 for 112 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to Justin Shorter (team-high five receptions) with 54 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media